Rivers Running Freely
by xxxNadzxxx
Summary: Clark finds Lex at his mother's grave and Lex breaks down ...
1. Chapter 1

Clark always expected bad weather when he went to the graveyard. This day was the same. It was windy and dark, and grey clouds filled the sky. Clark looked toward the ground at where Ryan lay. Clark didn't visit him often. Looking back at the memories of Ryan, Clark knew that Ryan hadn't had the best love from his family. Clark always used to think of Ryan as a little brother, like the sibling he never had.

Many people had died in Clark's life, but the death of Ryan definitely left a hole. Kayla's death was traumatizing and Clark felt hatred towards destiny when she left him. But Clark was thankful for what he had, two loving and caring parents who chose him out of love. It was always this that guided Clark out of the graveyard, and the past, and into the future.

As Clark walked away from Ryan's grave and along the path, Clark heard a small silent crying from behind one of the gravestones. Of course being in a graveyard Clark wasn't surprised by this, however, after discreetly glancing at the mourner Clark did get a slight surprise.

It was Lex.

Clark watched him for a few seconds, Lex was oblivious to Clark's presence.

"I had a dream about you again last night. You were telling me that you loved me over and over. I thought you were never going to stop saying it. I miss you so much. Even now."

Clark moved in a large circle around the gravestones and ended up behind Lex. He read the gravestone and his heart went out to Lex.

Lilian Luthor

A beautiful Wife and Mother.

Our hearts shall be with you.

The gravestone was kept beautifully. Fresh flowers were planted and the gravestoned looked polished.

Clark didn't want to look as if he were spying on Lex so he decided to let him know he was there.

"Hey Lex…" Clark said cautiously.

Lex turned his head a lot slower than Clark expected. He looked away again and Clark saw him dry his tears before turning back to Clarck.

The control and confidence in Lex's eyes was there again but there was a hint of sadness in the background.

"Hey Clark"

Clark gestured toward Lilian's grave.

"I wish I had known her, she sounds … "

With the absence of the last word Lex chuckled. "I wish you had known her two. She was like your mother, always kind, gentle and thoughtful."

Lex looked back at the grave and a sob neither Clark nor Lex had expected escaped Lex's mouth. In a moment Lex was on his knees, tears streaming down his face. Every feeling, regret and sadness, that Lex had kept bottled up inside of him since he was a young teenager came out like a river destroying it's dam and running freely. Clark lent down and held Lex close, Clark was the only good thing left in Lex's life, and Clark wasn't going to ruin that.


	2. Chapter 2

Lex was working at his laptop in his library. He took a sip of water from a blue bottle and went over to a bookshelf. He pulled out the first book that came to hand. _Alexander the Great. _His mother had bought it for him as a child.

He smiled and placed the book back into the slot before returning to his laptop.

He thought his usual thoughts. How he depended so much on his friendship with Clark. How he had no one to love and no one loved him. He stopped typing and sat back in his chair. He looked around the library that his father had designed. In fact the whole mansion was his father's. Nothing was Lex's. He realised now more than ever that he was living in his father's shadow, his father having a hold on his life. The part of Lex's life that even he had no control over.

Suddenly the double doors of the library were opened as his servant showed a guest through. Lex smiled at the thought that it may be Clark, but his hopes were ruined as the devil himself walked into the library.

"Hello son," he announced sarcastically.

Lex looked up and gave him a look of complete loathing before returning his gaze toward the computer screen.

Lionel pretended to look hurt. "Well, I would have preferred a hello or at least some other kind of pleasant acknowledgement, but you always had to be awkward."

Lex sighed and looked up once again.

Almost robotically he answered "Hello father"

Even though things had never gone smoothly between the two Luthors, there was another reason as to why things were so tense.

"You know what day it is today?"

"Yes" replied the younger Luthor.

"She would have been 47. "

"I know" Lex replied sorrowfully.

An uncomfortable silence followed, and Lex, not wanting to leak out any more feelings than he already had, decided to end the very occasional father – son bonding session.

"Well I have a lot of work to do, so if you don't mind…"

"Actually you don't."

"I'm sorry?"

And out of nowhere, Lionel answered,

"You're fired as of this moment. You no longer work for Luthorcorp or myself. Sorry for the terrible timing but you just can't plan these things."

And with that Lionel Luthor strolled out of the room leaving a broken and dejected Lex, standing alone open-mouthed in shock.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Clark had come to see Lex as he hadn't seen him after the incident in the cemetery. As he wondered the many corridors of the Luthor mansion he actually almost walked straight into Lionel Luthor.

The powerful man had a sly grin on his face which Clark at once knew meant trouble for Lex.

"Excuse me Mr Kent. I'd watch where you're going my boy." And after a slight glare from Clark the multi-billionaire strolled off.

Clark entered Lex's study and at once realised that something had happened between father and son. He took a quick scan of the room and found Lex sitting on one of the square lounge chairs on the first floor that was surrounded by books.

He slowly approached the stairs and started to climb as he watched Lex stare blankly at the wall in front of him. As he reached the top Clark went and sat on the opposite chair in front of Lex.

"Hey Lex, are you ok?" _Well, that's a stupid question to be asking. _

Lex smiled but it wasn't of happiness, it was of sarcastic hurt that Clark saw so often on Lex.

"I just got fired."

Clark looked at him, at first thinking Lex was joking, but then realising that it was Lionel Luthor they were talking about, and family didn't matter in the corporate world.

"But, that's not right …"

"I don't think it neither occurs nor matters whether my father thinks it's right or not Clark"

"This doesn't mean you have to give up on everything. You can start Lexcorp again…"

"And he'll take it away from me again. I depended on my father for too long, I knew this day would come when he would stab me in the back. And now I'm left with nothing." And with that he left the room, leaving Clark staring after his broken friend.


End file.
